It was in December 2020 - in the First year of Covid - when I got the commission to write an organ piece for the 2024 Biennial National Convention of the American Guild of Organists in San Francisco. I decided to compose a suite of Five movements about 'Wisdom'.
The Bible (Proverbs 8:23-31) describes 'Wisdom' as playing and dancing day and night before God who was creating the world. In the first movement, Dancing Wisdom, 'Wisdom' dances gracefully on a low melody of the organ pedal.
While I was composing, the reports of climate catastrophes from all over the world came thick and fast. Living in Switzerland, I realized how our mighty glaciers were retreating further and further and would probably disappear completely in a few years' time. I couldn't go on writing a second joyful movement about 'Wisdom' dancing before God. That's why I called the second movement Brother Glacier's Farewell. An original alphorn melody, played by the full organ, shows the huge glacier in its splendor. Gradually the organ sound decreases and finally disappears completely. The last distant melody comes from a Swiss folk song with the lyrics 'Oh, look how the glaciers are so red'.
When I was a child, Mea culpa (through my fault) was part of the 'Confiteor' (confession), the first prayer of the Catholic Latin Mass. Everyone had to confess his guilt; guilty at that time meant being disobedient, not pious enough, etc. But now our guilt has become dramatic: We are the ones to blame for the climate change of the last 50 years.
One day, I heard a blackbird singing in the garden. Its song, or rather its call, was so full of light and hope that it immediately snapped me out of my 'meaculpa-mood'. I wrote down the blackbird call note by note, named the tune Hope and added it as the fourth movement to the suite. It is played on a simple organ stop (4' flute) and lasts only 30 seconds.
Finally, I realized that the suite 'Wisdom' would be premiered in San Francisco, the famous town named after St Francis of Assisi. I personally see the Saint's Wisdom as a bright, healing river flowing towards us. His Wisdom was simple and yet extremely demanding:
St Francis considered Poverty as a noble lady and sang songs to her. Poverty was the greatest treasure of his life. He loved the whole creation, the plants, the animals, the winds, the sun, the stars, etc. and called them his brothers and sisters. It is certainly not my invention to see St Francis' Wisdom as THE hope for the future of mankind. But it was the blackbird call itself which called for the last movement La Sapienza di San Francesco.
The organ suite Wisdom is of a moderate virtuosity level and can be played on larger or smaller organs (you need at least two manuals and a pedal).
The five movements can be used in liturgy - either in the given sequence following the content as Intro, three Interludes and Sortie - or in any other way like for example:
- Intro: Brother Glacier's Farewell
- 1st Interlude (between readings): Wisdom
- 2nd Interlude (short for offertory): Hope
- 3rd Interlude (during communion): Mea culpa
- Sortie: La Sapienza di San Francesco
The stop indications are meant as a suggestion and are not compulsory.
They should show how the suite Wisdom can also be realized on a 25 stop tracker organ with two manuals and a pedal such as 'my' Mathis organ in St. Peter and Paul Oberägeri, Zug / Switzerland.
Carl Rütti
